Rutgers rallies past Arkansas

Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood, right, joins his players as they sing the school's alma mater after an NCAA college football game against Arkansas in Piscataway, N.J., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013. Rutgers won 28-24. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

PISCATAWAY — At 7:07 p.m., Gary Nova allowed the moment to linger.

He took pictures with hurrying hangers-on. He pumped his fist and blew kisses to admiring fans in the second deck. And a few minutes later, Rutgers’ quarterback ran alone up a tunnel at High Point Solutions Stadium, worthy of a 28-24 win Rutgers produced Saturday against Arkansas.

“It was a great feeling,” said Nova, sneaking a candy bar into a black duffel bag. “This is what you dream about: those last-second wins, last-minute wins in a packed house (with) an SEC team.”

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A week after suffering a concussion and lasting only one drive, Nova finished with 346 yards and three touchdowns. With Rutgers trailing, 24-14, in the fourth quarter Nova added 147 passing yards and two scores.

He became the first Rutgers quarterback since 2004 to win in regulation after trailing by at least two scores in the second half.

Arkansas defenders forced two turnovers. A botched read-option play resulted in a third.

He appeared sluggish early behind a maligned offensive line that allowed five sacks, the most this season.

“It does not surprise me,” head coach Kyle Flood said. “Gary’s greatest attribute is his competitive fire. It does not surprise me that he came through with a game like that and perform like that in the fourth quarter.”

Nova’s most daring play — a fourth-and-12 bomb down the right sideline to Leonte Carroo — came at Rutgers’ most dire moment. Less than 10 minutes remained. The Scarlet Knights had produced little from their wide receivers.

Nova said he liked the coverage and tried a similar play to Carroo earlier. A 33-yard score followed on a second attempt.

“Our wide receiver coach (Matt Simon) came up to us at halftime and said, ‘Hey, this receiving corps is going to have to win this game,’” Carroo said. “When he said that to us, I looked to my left and to my left at my brothers and I said, ‘He’s right.’”

Rutgers’ defense, meanwhile, took advantage of conservative play calling.

Fourteen of Arkansas’ points came off Rutgers turnovers. Three more followed a fake punt.

Arkansas was willing to take it. AJ Derby, who started in place of injured Brandon Allen, last took snaps at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College.

With a two-score deficit early in the fourth quarter, Rutgers faced a barrage of runs and high-percentage passes. Derby would not be responsible for deciding the outcome — until he had to.

“You look at their drive chart in the second half after (Arkansas) scored their touchdown,” Flood said. “Three plays and a punt. Three plays and a punt. Six plays and a punt. Three plays and a punt. Five plays and a punt. Seven plays and a punt. The defense gave us the opportunity to have enough drives.”

A late first-half touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Kroft soothed early tensions. Rutgers trailed, 10-7. An interception return for a touchdown was the culprit.

Under pressure, Nova slung a sideline pass to Brandon Coleman. Arkansas’ Tevin Mitchel took it 26 yards into Rutgers’ end zone.

Nova picked up a sideline phone soon after, speaking to Rutgers’ coaches in the press box. A few hours later, he was looking up again, this time as the last player remaining on the field.

Months ago, talk of Nova was unflattering. A poor performance in Rutgers’ bowl loss to Virginia Tech proved the low point of his young career. Everyone had an angle on him.

The crowd began to file out as Nova trotted alone up a concrete staircase to Rutgers’ locker room. Those that remained chanted his name.

“It just shows his leadership, how he blocks out everything,” said Carroo, a high school teammate. “He doesn’t care about anything but winning games and playing football.”

About the Author

Tyler Barto is a 2013 Rutgers graduate and a Westampton, N.J., native. Reach the author at tbarto@trentonian.com
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